Coronavirus travel disruption - latest info and your rights

Westin

@ceh209: Concern noted about your return flights but I very much doubt anyone on MSE, or indeed anyone anywhere, can tell you what is going to happen. Situation as you know if changing daily/hourly.  From what we saw with Italy some flights continued to operate to assist with people returning to their home countries. Possibly similar will happen with major cities in Spain IF worst comes to worst.

Certainly wise to think about an plan for Plan B, but whether you need it or not no one will be able to tell you for sure.  

Suggestions to investigate now -
(a) How to get to MAD if something impacts flights from BCN.
(b) Options to head north, through France to get home by rail?
(c) Ferries from northern Spain?
(d) Have sufficient access to money whilst overseas incase stay extended or travel disrupted.
(f) Familiarise yourself with those boring T&C’s of your travel insurance.
(g) Look up and take the contact details of the British consulate service in Barcelona/Madrid.
(h) Know whee to look for updated travel information (FCO, travel company website etc) .

ceh209

Westin said:

@ceh209: Concern noted about your return flights but I very much doubt anyone on MSE, or indeed anyone anywhere, can tell you what is going to happen. Situation as you know if changing daily/hourly.  From what we saw with Italy some flights continued to operate to assist with people returning to their home countries. Possibly similar will happen with major cities in Spain IF worst comes to worst.

The trip's off. The hotel have got in contact and agreed to use the money paid towards alternative dates any time this year. I'm feeling relieved tbh. Just can't get through to travel insurance to tell them I need to change dates on the policy!

concernedmum

zexpe said:

Yesterday, Cyprus briefly declared mandatory 14-day self-isolation for any visitors from the UK. Clearly this would ruin any two-week holiday plans and would be somewhat incompatible with travel to/from the airport for trips of a shorter duration. Are airlines seriously going to run flights to countries that the UK say is fine to travel to, but these countries want UK travellers to enter isolation? If we cancel the flights would that come under "deciding not to travel" as far as the travel insurers are concerned?

Please post again as to how you get on going forward as in similar situation, thanks

ostaragirl1

I have the following booked:
Wick to Edinburgh return flights with Loganair 
Edinburgh to Budapest return flights with Ryanair 
Airbnb booked for Budapest 

I've booked it all myself. Loganair have sent an email saying all Edinburgh flights cancelled and giving me a refund. They are blaming the downturn in bookings due to Coronavirus and closing the route. I have silver cover with AA. Will I be eligible to cancel Airbnb given I have no alternative way of getting to my Budapest flight. In general what should I do? 

Cessex

I was due to fly to the Netherlands for a climbing competition with my daughter, the Netherlands government have cancelled all events with more than 100 people so the competition is now off.  As the FCO have not stopped people travelling is it likely I will be able to get my money back for the flight from either the airline or my travel insurance, I have been trying to get hold of the airline but as you can imagine it's busy.  

Westin

@ostaragirl: Have you actually looked on the AirBNB website? They have a whole section covering these/your eventuality.
@Cessex: You don’t mention the airline so I can’t check for you.  Have you looked on the unnamed airline website regarding travel waivers?  What you don’t have a claim against is being able to cancel just because the climbing competition has been cancelled. This is also covered in the MSE article regarding travel for specific events but booked outside of a package.

ostaragirl1

Westin said:

@ostaragirl: Have you actually looked on the AirBNB website? They have a whole section covering these/your eventuality.
@Cessex: You don’t mention the airline so I can’t check for you.  Have you looked on the unnamed airline website regarding travel waivers?  What you don’t have a claim against is being able to cancel just because the climbing competition has been cancelled. This is also covered in the MSE article regarding travel for specific events but booked outside of a package.

I have but none the wiser. I've just messaged them asking. I'm worried that since it's only one flight cancelled they will tell me to find a different way to get to the next one but there isn't an alternative. Then worried I'll lose the Ryanair flights too as they might expect me to find an alternative way to get to Edinburgh when the timings of finishing work and getting 400 miles to Edinburgh in time isn't possible. 

marmite1979

Situation with me:-
Trip to Barcelona 20th - 23rd March:
Match ticket refunded.
Hotel: agree to put booking back to later in the year, no refund
Vueling: allow me to book flight in November no change charge but the flight is half the price. This was probably aided by  the fact I couldn't check in in advance from the UK and would have needed to do so on the way back.
Ryanair: say I can do the same but cannot book the date as it's greyed out when I choose it, and again it's far cheaper. I have checked in last month and this maybe the reason I cannot change it yet. 
Southdowns insurance: No answer and now not open until Monday, give AXA insurance claim number, they do not answer and you cannot register on the website with a Southdown policy. Right at the bottom of page the advise is you are eligible if you have underlying health conditions so can claim as Barcelona is an affected area, with suburbs quarantined. And likely to follow Italy by my trips time
Can I claim the difference in the costs incurred off my insurance if the Airlines will not credit me with the difference in costs?
In hindsight I should have waited with a Doctors note and claimed all the costs off my insurer but there isn't any guarantee I'd have got through by the time of departure. And I'd have been stuck in an airport all weekend with a closed city.
The time taking to get through to anyone is excruciating and I'm trying to lessen the losses and not have anything booked next weekend at least I can go in November. I just hope Barcelona or at least Espanyol are at home that weekend as a substitute.
Another reason for not travelling is my job. Its self preservation to avoid contamination and passing on to Hospital staff and patients. Can I use this in my claim? Do Unions back you in a case if I need them to chase the Insurer or Airline?

Fortyfoot

Jet2 today 

marmite1979

Airlines Ryanair and Vueling are allowing you to re-book (Ryanair's doesn't work) but they have ramped up the price for near dates. They charge you the difference. When you book for a date in November the Skyscanner price is lower than my current fare. They do not refund the difference they just charged me the same price, so it only works one way.
 I'm currently attempting to get my Insurance company to refund me either full cost of the trip that companies are refusing to be refunded. Or at least a difference on the costs.
My policy does cover me according to a list of conditions as far down the Web page as possible. The broker (Southdowns)has gone off this weekend, even though this is the busiest period they'd ever get and they haven't replied to an email or call since Wednesday.